Portable house or tent



(No Model.) s sheetssheet 1. A. C. LAUBER. PORTABLE HUUSE 0R TENT.

No. 490,205. b Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

3 DWH, E B U A L C.. LA

(No MdeL) PORTABLE HOUSE 0R TENT.

No. 490,205. Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

Tm: ohms Pfrins cc.. mamans., wuumn'rc-u. n. c.

(No Model.) A 3 sheetssheet s.

A.. C. LAUBER.

PDRTABLE HoUsB 0R TENT. V

No; 490,205. Y Patented Jan. 17, 1893.

ff lyf. n iwf/few Zwem?? UNrTED STATES PATENT ADAM O. LAUBER, OFCINCINNATI, OHIO.

PORTABLE HOUSE OR TENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,205, dated January17, 1893.

Application tiled July 28, 1892, Serial No. 441,531. [No model.)

To all whom,A t may concern:

Be it known that l, ADAM CHARLES LAUBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Houses or Tents,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of struct` ures commonly known asportable houses,in oluding in said term any inclosu re Within Walls andbeneath a roof which is formed of parts previously constructed andfitted and capable of being rapidly combined with other constituentparts to form a complete, or even a partly completed structure, having`a like capacity of being taken apart, or dismembered, and packed in asmall space for transportation, or storage.

It is the purpose of myinvention to provide a structure of this typewhich shall com prise- First. A novel,simple and improved constructionof the sills of the frame, in combination with angular metallic shells,or castings, whereby they may be easily and quickly connected at therequired angle and disconnected with equal facility, each angular shell,or casting, forming a permanent adjunct of one of said sills, to reducethe number of separable parts and avoid the possibility of loss,misplacement, or improper attachment of said parts: Second. A provisionin the sills, or in one of the san1e,forthe supportof the cornerposts,or similar vertical portions of the frame of the structure, havingcombined therewith suitable fastenings for the same: Third. Anystruct-ure of the type specified having means for the attachment andsupport of frames containing solid panels, screens, textile fabric, orany other material preferred for the construction of the inclosingWalls, and with attachable and removable devices for the properattachment of one or more doors of suitable construction: Fourth. Meansfor detachably connecting the ends of the tie-beams, having combinedtherewith devices for giving a posi tive fastening and support of ltherafters at the ridges, or gables, of the roof, the tie-beams, like thesills, being provided with seats for the upper ends of the corner posts,and with fastenings for the preservation of their respective relations,one to the other: Fifth. A

portable structure of the type specified, a roofframe comprising acrownterminal and radiating, attachable and detachable rafters, soconstructed as to be readily capable of variation in length, theridge-rafters being positively attachable to the angular castingsconnecting the tie-bearings and projecting beyond the same to formoverhanging eaves:

Sixth. A suitable roof-frame and suitable canopy, or inclosing fabric,of any preferred material, positively connected at the eaves andstretched by the longitudinal adjustment of the rafters, the entirestructure of the roof being removable from the walls, with or withoutthe canopy, or inclosing fabric, the rafters having a pivotal connectionwith the crown terminal by which they may be folded into substantialparallelism or, if preferred, wholly separated from said terminal bydisconnecting the two parts of the latter.

It is my purpose, finally, to simplify and improve the construction ofstructures of this class; to provide for the easy and speedy erection ofthe same of any dimensions, and having any desired form, Withoutrequiring skilled labor, or special tools; to reduce the number ofessential parts and the Weight and bulk of said parts and enable thelatter to be stowed, or packed, in a small space, .to promote the easeand diminish the expense of transportation; to provide a temporary, or apermanent building of portable character, walls of which, or partsthereof, may be arranged at any desired angle, and to furnish atreasonable expense structures of this type which shall be capable ofresisting the weather and practically impermeable by storms.

My invention consists, to these ends, in the several lnovel features ofconstruction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forthand finally pointed out more detinitely in the claims which. are annexedto this specification.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my said invention pertainsto fully understand and to make, construct and use the same, I will nowdescribe said invention in detail, reference being had for such purposeto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation showingone form one of the adjoining Walls, the section-plane t lying in theupper half of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of one of the walls,including a portion of the roof, or covering. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective of one of the cornerrons, or castings, used to connect theendsof the tiebeams, the end-portions of the latter being shown toillustrate the construction Vof the seat for the upper end of acorner-post,

said post and the lower corner-iron, or castt ing, being included inthefigure, with the ends lo`f the sills engagedtherein, toshowthe seat and`fastenings for the Alower end of the i Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionon'a-n i corner-post.

enlarged scale, to show the crown-terminaln oneof the ridge-rafters,`thepositive connec-g tion to the upper corner-iron, the canopy, or,

covering, its connections to the 'crown-termi-- nal, and eaves, and themeans for stretching. said canopy. Fig. 7 is 'a detail elevation of; thecrown-terminal, disconnected from otheri parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan viewof the lower half.

ofthe crown-terminal, showing the ends ofL the rafters connected. Fig. 9isa detail section of one'of the eaves, to show the positive connectionof the canopy, or covering.

10 is a detail perspective of part of the canopy, 'or covering, showingthe inner face ofi one of the corner-portions.

Fig. 1l is a de-f tail perspective of one of the upper corner irons,showing the lug supporting and giving positive fastening to theridge-rafter.

Fig. I

12 is a detail section taken horizontally; through the corner-iron shownin Fig. l1 andy through the end-portions of the tie-beams.`

Fig. 13 is a detail view of a corner-iron, or

casting, having an angle greater than a right; angle, to adapt it to theformation 'of build-A ings, or tents, of various forms, or to the con?`struction of bay-windows, bowed-fronts, or other `portions of themain-structure, or ad-I` juncts of the same.

In the said drawings the'reference-n umeral l indicatesthesills of aportable house, or similar l structure.

I have shown four of these sills,

arranged substantially in the form of a rectangle, this being thesimplest form employed,

butit is evident that I may vary this` form to i any degree desired, andarrange the sills vat various angles, means being provided for'thepurpose, as explained in a subsequent portion of this specification.structed of suitable timber or other substance, and have dimensionsproportioned to the size The sills are conof the structure which is torest thereon.

They are connected at their ends by cornerirons 2, each of whichconsists of a cast-iron, or malleable iron structure, in the form of 'ashell, or housing. of angular form, inclosed upon its lower side, orbottom,and upon both Vertical sides, but open at the ends and upon theupper side. In one of the open ends of said corner-irons is inserted theextremity of one Vof the sills, its square end being placed iush, orsubstantially so, with the inner surface of the inner, Vertical side ofthe intersecting part of the said .corner-iron, in the manner shown inFigs. 5 and l2. Screws 3 are then inserted through a wall of thecorner-iron, to fasten it to the end of the sill and make it a permanentadjunct thereof. The end of the adjoining sill is then inserted in theother `part of the corner-iron, until its square end abuts against theouter wall of the part in which the permanently attached sill lies, theside-face of the second sill lying against, or close to, the square end-of the first sill. rlhe 'second si-ll is provided with a temporaryfastening consisting of a bolt 4 Apassing through it horizontally, andthrough both walls of the corner-iron, one end of said bolt receiving a'thumb-nut 5, which is turned up against the corner-iron. .Att the angleof the corner-iron A2, the upper faces of the vsills are cutawaysufticiently to form a seat, or shallow socket 6, -the horizontalbottom of which lies somewhat below the open top of lthe corner-iron, asseen in the lower portion of Fig. -5. IVithin this seat, or socket, issteppedthe lower end of a corner-post 7. This cornerpost bears, inycross-section, a rough resemblance to a letter L, as seen in the lower,right-hand portion of Fig. 3, this form co-inciding with, orapproximating, the shape of the corneriron at its angle. The length andvsize of these posts will be governed by the height to be givento'the-side-walls and to the size of thefsills 1. V'hen set in itssocket, or seat G, atem-porary, but positive fastening, is provided bymeans-of hooks 8 mounted upon 'one part and engaging eyes 9 upon theother of said parts, the hooks and'eyes being shown, in the presentinstance, as mounted upon the 'post and the sills, respectively, andupon the inner, angnlarmargins thereof.

Any preferred 'form of fastening may be substituted for the devicesshown.

The numeral 10 indicates the tie-beams which are parallel with thesills, but preferably of lighter construction. They are connected -attheir ends by corner-irons 12, which correspond in all essentialrespects with the corner-irons 2, the main difference being that theyare reversed in position, being closed at i the top and open at thebottom. The tiebeams -are connected to these corner-irons 12 insubstantially the same manner as the sills. one of said tie-beams beingpermanently fastened to the corner-iron by screws 13, and temporarilyattached to the other by a bolt 14 and thumb-nut 15. Aseat, or socket16, is likewise formed in the lower faces of the tie-beams, to receivethe upper end of the corner-post 7, and fastenings 18 and 19 are provided to connect 'the vertical and horizontal members of the structure,similar to the faslIO tenings 8 and 9. The constructions thus fardescribed are duplicated' at each angle, or corner, of the building ortent, at the lower and upper extremities of the corner-posts,respectively.

The parts thus far described constitute the essential portions of theframe of the structure.

To complete the vertical walls, or sidings, I proceed as follows. Theupper faces of the sills l are, at their outer margins, flush or nearlyso, with the open tops of the cornerirons 2, and from this point eachsill is beveled upward and inward, to form an inclined surface 20,(Figs. 4 and 5,) running longitudinally with the sill. At its upper sidethis bevel, or incline, adj oins a horizontal portion 2l, in the centerof which, or near the center, is formed a rib, or tongue, 22, runninglength- Wise of the sill, upon the inner margin of which rises a strip,or flange 23, which is preferably somewhat higher than the tongue 22.VUpon the face thus formed, at suitable intervals, are placed theuprights 24, consisting of timbers resembling, in cross-section, theletter H, their lower, square ends being grooved and otherwise so formedthat they will rest upon and form a joint with theA tongued horizontalportion 2l of the upper face of the sill, and extend down over the bevel20. These uprights are very nearly as long as the corner-posts, a slightexcess of length being given to the latter to enable their ends to enterand fill the seats 6 and 16 in the sills and tie-beams. For the uprights2e longitudinal channels 25 are formed in the lower faces of thetie-beams, which receive tongues upon the upper ends of the uprights,fastenings of a more posit-ive character being ordinarily unnecessary.In the opposite edges of these uprights and in the plane ofthe channels25, are formed grooves, or channels 26, extending from end to end. Thesegrooves receive the lateral members of frames 27, which will,preferably, extend from the sills to the tie-beams, their lower edgesbeing grooved to form suitably close joints with the tongues 22 on thesills, as in Fig. 4. While I prefer to construct these frames each in asingle part extending from the tie-beam to sill, I may, and usually do,divide each frame into two r portions by means of a horizontal bar 28,in-

serted atan intermediate point. Below this bar I shall, ordinarily,insert a solid panel 29, formed of wood, metal, or other suitablematerial, while above the same a fabric 30 such as netting, gauze,whether of wire 0r other thread,or a textile fabric may be used; or,should the circumstances of any case require, glass may be used, or anyconstruction may be adopted that is preferred by the occupant. The solidpanels 29 are intended to exclude water during storms, and to receivethe splash of water dripped from the roof. The form givenV to the upperfaces of the sills, also, is adapted to exclude rain and to provide forthe drainage of moisture gathering upon the exterior.

At one or more suitable points in the vertical wall, or walls, areplaced doors 3l, which are of any known or preferred construction. Toprovide for the hanging of such a door,l use posts, or uprights 24,shown in Fig. 3, separated by a suitable interval, and having theiradjacent vertical faces plane-surfaced, the lgrooves 26 being omitted.Upon these faces are tacked, screwed, or otherwise attached L-shapedstrips 32, having one leg,or portion 33, lying next to, or Hush with,the outer faces of the posts 24, and each extending toward the oppositeside of the doorway. The door 3l is hinged to close, at its hinged edge,in the angle formed by one of said strips, while its free edge swingsinto the angle of the other strip. The angular parts 33 thus formbattens for the joints at the two vertical edges, and any suitable formof weather-strip, or other protector, may be used at bottom, and, ifnecessary, at the top, also.

The roof, or covering, for the structure thus far described, consists ofa frame of rafters 3a and ridge-rafters 35, which I construct, for thesake of obtaining the maximum strength and lightness, of metallic pipe,or of similar tubular formations, common gas-pipe being a very goodmaterial for the purpose. At one end each rafter and ridge-rafter isslightly flattened (Figs. 6 and 8) and perforated, to receive a wire 36,or other similar connection giving a pivotal support, said wire beinglaid in a groove, or channel, 37, formed in the edge of a two-partcrown-terminal 38. Notches, or recesses, 39, are formed at suitableintervals intersecting the groove, or channel, to receive the ends ofthe rafters, which radiate from the terminal at such intervals as may benecessary to give adequate support to the roof, canopy, or othercovering.

In the rectangular form of building, tent, or other structure shown inthe drawings, four of the rafters run from the crown terminal 38 to thecorner -irons 12, and constitute the ridge-rafters, as they support thefour ridges, or angles, of the roof, or covering. A positive attachmentfor these ridge-raftersis provided by means of a finger a0, dropped fromthe ridge-rafter and entering a slot, or opening el, in a lug 42, whichprojects outward from the angular edge of the corner-iron I2,substantially in the same direction as the ridge-rafter. The attachmentis completed by means of a key 43, of any suitable form, inserted in across-aperture in the finger 40, below the lug 42. The latter beingplaced a little below the upper edge of the corner-iron l2, it permitsthe ridge-rafter to drop down and rest upon said corner-iron and removeits weight from the lug. Each rafter and ridge-rafter is divided intotwo parts, which are united by a turn-buckle 4:4, the right and leftfemale threads of the latter engaging the oppositely threaded ends ofthe parts ot' the IOO IIO

rafter, thus aording a convenient m'eans for rafters 34 rest upon thetie-beams and have l at their ends collars 47, which receive theeaves-rods 46. formed I lay a canopy, or covering 48, corn- Over theroofing-frame thusl posed of textile fabric, water-.proof leather,`rubber, Wire-gauze or other netting, or any1 other material, of anykind., suited to thepurposo.

The choice of ,this material will doubtless be, in some measure,regulated by thel climate and season of the year, as Well as by theparticular use to which the structure'isto be put.

For ordinary purposes of shelter,

where :the house or tent is used as an office, residence, dormitory, orother analogous use, g

I ordinarily employ in temperate climates and during the milder seasonsof spring, summer, l autumn, dac., a ytextile fabric like canvas,"vwhich is preferably water prooted, thougl1= not necessarily so.

This canopy is usually formed in one piece to cover the crown-terminaland extend to the eaves, its margin ,being I provided with a drop-edge49.

At the angle between the canopy-covering48 and this drop- 1 edge, Iattach hooks, or other equivalent fastenings V50 to the interior faces,theirccnstruction being such as to adapt them to engage the/eaves-rods46, as seen in Fig. 9.

These or 'f other 'fastenings are placed at suitable intervals along theeaves, and when the canopy is 1 in place it may be stretched to anysuitabledegree by adjusting the length of the rafters and ridge raftersby buckles 44.

means of the turn- In order to disconnect the rafters 34 and 35 t fromthe crown-terminal, without removingl the wire 36 from the ends of saidrafters, I,

make the said crown-terminal in two parts,

as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the line of divis? ion passing channel orgroove 37. The two parts'are through the circumferential,

united by a central bolt 5l and thumb-nut 52.

To render the interior of `the house secure during storms, I propose tomount upon rolls, which are engaged beneath the eaves upon` the outside,curtains 53, of canvas or other suitable material, which may at any timebe drawn down to cover the exterior face of the screened portion of thesiding, or vertical wall, suitable fastenings being provided to hold thelower edge of said curtain. use,-in place of the latter, Venetianblinds, or other suitable protection, which will lie against, oradjacent to, the exterior surfaces Imay` of the Walls, the essentialrequirements being the capacity for easy and speedy extension of orring, in the corner-posts, or uprights, or in both, the other end vvofsaid stay being connected by a similar snap-hock to ,a staple, or ring,in a post strongly anchored in the soil.

In those structures where irregular forms are desired, or whereinbay-windows, bowedfronts, or other forms are required involving anglesgreater or less than a right angle, l .provide corner-irons, orangle-irons 56, having the angles needed, but in all other re- Spectsbeing identical with the forms described herein. One such corner-ironieshown in Fig. 13, merely as a single example, or

illustration of what is meant, .its angle being about one hundred kandthirty-five degrees, but this angularity I shall vary, as `may bedesired.

What I lclaim is:-q

1. A Iportable house or tent, comprising sills connected at their endslby angular corner-irons inclosing thelower and thetwo vertical faces ofsaid ends, each cf said angular lcorner-irons being `permanentlyattached to oneof said sills, substantially as described.

2. Aportablerhouse 0r tent, comprising a Aframe resting upon sills whichare connected at theirends Vby angular corner-irons, formed. each, Vin`a single piece, to receive and inclose the lower and the two verticalfaces of the ends ofthe said sills,and corner-posts stepped. or insertedin seats, or sockets, formed in the upper faces of the sills at theangles of the corner-irons, substantially as described.

3. A portable house, or tent, comprising sills connected at their ends`by angular cornerirons each consisting of a single piece so formed asto inclose the lower and the two vertical faces of said sills, thelatter having seats, or sockets, formed in the upper, exposed faces ofboth sills, to receive the ends of corner-posts, and positive fasteningsconnecting thecorner-posts and sills, substantially as described.

4. In a portable house, or tent, the combination with sills connected bycorner-irons of corner-.posts resting in seats, or sockets, at the angleformed by said sills, positive fastenings connecting said corner-poststo the sills, and tie-.beams connected at their ends by cornerirons andhaving sockets, or seats, to receive the upper ends of the corner-postsupon which the tie-beams rest and to which they are positivelyconnected, substantially as described.

5. In a portablehouse, or tent, the combination with the sills and thetie-beams of uprights the ends of which have a tongue anu IIO grooveconnection with the said sills and tiebeams, and frames the lower edgesof which lie between longitudinal bevels, or inclines, on the outermargins of the sills and parallel lips, or anges, upon the inner marginsthereof, substantially as described.

6. In a portable house, or tent, the combination With the vertical frameof a roof-frame, consisting of rafters and ridge-rafters radiating froma detachable crown-terminal and connections between the ridge-raftersand the vertical frame at the angles of the latter, only, substantiallyas described. Y

7. In a portable house, or tent, the combination with a frame comprisingtiebeanis united at their ends by cornerirons each having a projectinglug at the angular edge, of aroof-fralne composed of rafters andridgerafters connected at one end to a crown-terminal, the ridge-raftersbeing provided with drop-fingers entering slots, or openings in theprojecting lugs of the corner-irons and fastened thereto, substantiallyas described.

8. In a portable house, or tent, the combination with a vertical-frameof a roof-frame composed of rafters and ridge-rafters pivotallyconnected at one end to a crown-terminal and radiating therefrom todierent parts of the trarne, their other ends projecting beyond the sameand provided with couplings and supports for eaves-rods, substantiallyas dcscribed.

9. In a portable house, or tent, the conibination with a vertical frameof a roof-frame composed of rafters and ridge-rafters variable 3 5 inlength, their ends connected to a crownterminal and eaves-rods,respectively, and a canopy, or covering, connected positively to theeaves-rods and stretched by the extension of the rafters andridge-rafters,substantially 4o as described.

10. In a portable house, or tent, the' combination With a vertical frameof a roof-frame composed of rafters and ridge-rafters each formed in twoconnected parts, one pivotally 45 connected to a Wire lying in acircumferential groove in a two-part, separable crown-terminal and theother connected to the eaves-rod,

a canopy or covering having hooks, or other fastenings connecting it tothe eaves-rods, 5o and means for varying the length of the rafters andridge-rafters, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal inpresence of 55 two subscribing witnesses.

A. C. LAUBER. [L s] Witnesses:

Wn. A. EASTERDAY, J. A. RUTHERFORD.

